Anchor line controller



Oct. 11, 1960 J. L. HOWINGTON ETAL 2,955,560

ANCHOR LINE CONTROLLER Filed March 27, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w 1 Mil INVENTORS Jazzzeslflozuz'nytoza 4* James H Good'zmwz/ ATTORNEY Oct. 11, 1960 J. 1.. HOWINGTON ETAL 2,955,560

ANCHOR LINE CONTROLLER Filed March 27, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JamesL/iowizzgicw James/1 6'ooa ma fWM A TTORNL' Y motefrom its dropping point. hawse holes have the effect of lessening the friction betates a handler at this spot.

slightest adjustment.

United States Patent ANCHOR LINE CONTROLLER Filed Ma -.27, 1958, 'Ser. No. 724,281

'Claims. or. 114-210 V The invention disclosed herein relates to the control of anchor lines, and, more particularly, to portable desecuring anchor lines.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a portable anchor line controlling device suitable for small fishing boats, such as rowboats, canoes, or small sailing craft, which will enable a fisherman to raise or lower his anchor of to pay out or take in anchor line from a position retween an anchor line or cable prior to securing the line on a cleat; to accomplish this simple operationnecessi- The same is true in small boats.- A fisherman inust tediously haul in the anchor hand over hand or pay it out, unsecuring-and securing the line from a cleat or fastening point to make even the i The present invention makes possible the raising or lowering of an anchor or slight to large adjustment of the anchor line, including the locking of the line, from a position remote from the device.

With this and further objects in view as will be apparent from the ensuing description, the invention consists of the construction described but without any purpose to limit the construction to that actually depicted.

Referring to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the anchor line controller; l Fig. 2 is a side view of the device and its attaching means; 7

Fig. 3 is a cross sectionof Fig. 2 with an anchor line installed and locking means in operation; and

Fig. 4 is a cross section of Fig. 2 with an anchor line installed and locking means disengaged.

In the drawings, generally indicates the anchor line controller. An inverted U, broadly stated, comprises the housing 11 of the device. This housing 11, made of cast or rolled metal, encloses the working elements of the anchor line controller and provides a bearing 12 for the screw shaft 13 of the clamp-like attaching means and its cooperating face 14. The driven end of screw shaft 13 terminates in an enlarged rotatably mounted head 15 while its outboard end is provided with means to operate it in the form of a sliding T-handle 16. In Figs. 3 and 4 this clamp-like attaching means is shown holding the anchor line controller secure to the transom 17 (shown in part) or the gunwale of a small boat.

The anchor line 18 is fed from the inboard side of the boat through the device and its working elements to the outboard side, the housing 11 having openings 19 and 20 respectively for this purpose. Extending downwardly from the outboard end of the anchor line is a representation of an anchor 21 or weight. This anchor 21 may be of any suitable form as it has been found this device operates efiiciently with any of the common types.

The working elements within the housing 11 comprises a line guide 22, a pivoting bar 23, a link member 24, a

Pulleys or rollers set in vices, which can be remotely controlled, for gripping and Js'haped wedge 25 and a. pulley 26. The line guide 22 is cylindrical in form and sufiiciently small in diameter to move freely within the housing opening 19. To prevent unnecessary chafiing or wear on the anchor line as it passes through the line guide 22, it is slightly flared at its opening as at 27. Line guide 22 is attached, as by welding, to one end of pivot bar 23, which, in turn, rocks on a pin 28 which tranverses the housing 11. Link 24 serves as a connecting means between the pivot bar 23 with its line guide 22 and wedge 25; pins 29 and 30 through the ends of link 24 effect this movable connection. The opposite endof wedge 25 from its connecting link 24 is pivoted similarly to pivot bar 23 by means of a second trans verse pin 31. Pulley 26, freely rotatable on a third transverse pin 32, guides the anchor line 18 from the wedge 25 to its anchor 21. A small coil spring 33 secured at one end to the housing 11 is attached at its other end towedge 25. A coil spring has been selected because it is far less expensivethan a flat tension spring of similar power and also far more available.

Wedge 25, heretofore mentioned as being J-shaped, is the key member of the working elements of the anchor line controller. Its foot is grooved or notched lengthwise as indicated at dotted line 34. Specifically, this groove is smooth, having no teeth or other projecting means which might possibly injure the anchor line as it is acted upon. This groove of wedge 25 presses the anchor line 18 against the inside base 35 of the housing 11 when the line is locked in position. Wedge 25, therefore, pinches the anchor line 18 but it does not dig teeth into it or damage the line in anyway.

. In actual use the anchor line controller is simplicity itself. The anchorline 18 is fed through the line guide 22,-under the foot of wedge 25, over pulley 26 and secured to an anchor 21. When the line guide 22 and its.

pivot bar 23 is pulled by the anchor line into a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 4, link 24 raises wedge 25 from tight engagement with the line enabling the operator to take in or pay out the line. On the other hand, the line maybe wedged into a locked position either by an upward movement raising the line guide into a vertical position, which forces wedge 25 downward, aided by coil spring 33, through the articulation of pivot bar 23 and link 24 or. by quickly releasing pressure on the anchor line 18 which permits spring 33 to contract thereby putting pressure on anchor line 18 by J-shaped wedge 25.

Actuation. of the anchor line controller from a remote position is accomplished by a horizontal or downward pull on the line 18; this pull will create a tension on line 18 which will lower line guide 22 and free the line from the wedge 25. Whereas a release of line 18 will raise the line guide 22 and enable wedge 25 to squeeze the line against the inside of the housing, securely locking the line from further movement. For example, a fisherman seated in the bow of a rowboat can operate the anchor line controller when the device is attached to the transom or stern, and this operation can be accomplished easily with one hand.

Numerous variations may doubtless be devised by persons skilled in the art without departing from the principles of our invention. We, therefore, desire no limitations to be imposed on our invention, except as are indicated in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An anchor line controller comprising a housing through which an anchor line passes having clamping means adapted to secure said housing to the transom of a boat, a line guide, a guiding pulley for the anchor line, a pivot bar pivotally mounted in said housing, said pivot bar also having a portion thereof secured to said line guide, a spring biased wedge pivotally mounted in said housing in spaced relationship to said pivot bar, a link connecting said pivot bar to said wedge, said wedge being adapted upon the biasing thereof to pinch the anchor line against a portion of the housing, and whereby said line guide and pivot bar will act upon a horizontal or downward pull on the anchor line to pivot said wedge and effect a release of said wedge from said anchor line through actuation of said pivot bar and link to free said anchor line for adjustment, and wherein a quick release or an upward movement of said anchor line will pivot said line guide upwardly and effect locking pressure of said wedge on said anchor line through actuation of said pivot bar and link to lock said anchor line in position.

2. An anchor line controller comprising a housing through which an anchor line passes having clamping means adapted to secure said housing to the transom of a boat, a line guide, a guiding pulley for said anchor line, a pivot bar pivotally mounted in said housing, said pivot bar also having a portion thereof secured to said line guide, a spring biased wedge pivotally mounted in said housing in spaced relationship to said pivot bar, a link connecting said pivot bar to said wedge and said wedge being provided with a notched foot for pinching the anchor line against a smooth portion of the housing upon the biasing thereof, and whereby said line guide and pivot bar will act upon a horizontal or downward pull on the anchor line to pivot said wedge and effect a release of said wedge from said anchor line through actuation of said pivot bar and link to free said anchor line for adjustment, and wherein release or an upward movement of said anchor line will pivot said line guide upwardly and effect locking pressure of said wedge on said anchor line through actuation of said pivot bar and link to lock said anchor line in position.

3. An anchor line controller comprising a housing through which an anchor line passes having clamping means adapted to secure said housing to the transom of a boat, a line guide, a guiding pulley for said anchor line, a'pivot bar pivotally mounted in said housing, said pivot bar also having a portion thereof secured to said line guide, a spring biased wedge pivotally mounted in said housing in spaced relationship to said pivot bar, a link connecting said pivot bar to said wedge, said wedge also being provided with a smooth surfaced notched foot for pinching the anchor line against a smooth portion of the housing upon the biasing thereof, the connection between said pivot bar and wedge being such that said line guide and pivot bar will act upon a horizontal or downward pull on the anchor line to pivot said wedge and effect a release of said wedge from said anchor line through actuation of said pivot bar and link to free said anchor line for adjustment, and wherein a quick release or an upward movement of said anchor line will pivot said line guide upwardly and effect locking pressure of said wedge on said anchor line through actuation of said pivot bar and link to lock said anchor line in position.

4. A portable anchor line controller comprising a housing through which an anchor line passes, clamping means integral to said housing to attach it to a boat, a pulley to guide said anchor line from said housing, a line guide surrounding said anchor line, a pivot bar pivotally mounted in said housing, said pivot bar also having a portion thereof secured to said line guide, a spring biased wedge pivotally mounted in said housing in spaced relationship to said pivot bar, a link connecting said pivot bar to said wedge, said wedge also being provided with a smooth surfaced notched foot for pinching the anchor line against a smooth surfaced portion of the housing upon the biasing thereof, said pivot bar and Wedge being so connected that said line guide and pivot bar will act upon a horizontal or downward pull on the anchor line to pivot said wedge and effect a release of said wedge from said anchor line through actuation of said pivot bar and link to free 'said anchor line for adjustment, and wherein a quick release or an upward movement of said anchor line will pivot said line guide upwardly and effect locking pressure of said wedge on said anchor line through actuation of said pivot bar and link to lock said anchor line in position.

5. An anchor line controller comprising a housing through which an anchor line passes having clamping means adapted to secure said housing to the transom of a boat, a hollow tube-like line guide, a guiding pulley for said anchor line, a pivot bar pivotally mounted in said housing, said pivot bar also having a portion thereof secured to saidline guide, a spring biased wedge pivotally mounted'in said housing in spaced relationship to said pivot bar, a link connecting said pivot bar to said wedge, said wedge also being provided with a smooth surfaced notched foot for pinching the anchor line against a smooth portion of the housing upon the biasing thereof, the connection between said pivot bar and wedge being such that said line guide and pivot bar will act upon a horizontal or downward pull on the anchor line to pivot said wedge and effect a release of said wedge from said anchor line through actuation of said pivot bar and link to free said anchor line for adjustment, and wherein a quick release or an upward movement of said anchor line will pivot said line guide upwardly and effect locking pressure of said wedge on said anchor line through actuation of said pivot bar and link to lock said anchor line in position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

